'Children Now' Pushes For Pro-Kid Agenda Road Map For Policymakers

From Children Now: State policymakers urgently need to make smart, strategic and quality investments in California’s children in order to advance equitable economic growth in California, according the 2017–18 Pro-Kid Policy Agenda for California released today by Children Now. The Agenda covers the full range of education, health and child welfare state policy issues critical to California children’s well-being.

“California’s leaders will be making tough decisions as our state faces very possible federal funding cuts, seeks to improve racial equity, and addresses economic challenges in communities across our state,” Children Now President Ted Lempert said. “In making these decisions, it is imperative that policymakers are Pro-Kid and prioritize children, especially low-income children and kids of color.”

Disparities in education and health for the state’s children of color remain stark, according to the 2016–17 California County Scorecard of Children’s Well-Being, also recently released by Children Now. For example, though only 60% of our state’s white students read at grade level in third grade, that number drops to 31% of Latino students and only 27% of our African American students. These disparities illuminate historic under investment in the state's children of color.

“California needs to ensure every child is given the chance to fulfill their potential. The Pro-Kid Agenda is the roadmap for state policymakers to meet this promise,” Lempert said.

The full 2017–18 Pro-Kid Policy Agenda for California can be found here.
The 2016–17 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being can be accessed here.

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